Monday, May 31, 2010

Wall Hanging Box Aquarium

I really like using boxes we get in the mail for other things before recycling them, so I made this small aquarium toy.  Instead of taping the fish to the top of the box, I decided to make it more interactive by cutting slits in the top and tying buttons to the threads.  This way the fish can be moved around like puppets.  It's actually really beautiful to watch.  When you slide the buttons, the fish spin and dance, creating a happy swimming effect.  It's a great recyclable toy.  You could leave the back and sides of the box attached.  I just wanted to create a space that was open and light.  It would be fun to paint the inside of the box too though.  Try it out!

Update: You may also use my Blackfish Cafe Coloring Sheets to create your marine life.  Just color and cut them out!


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58 comments:

  1. ❤YisinMay 31, 2010 at 10:16 PM

    Yay! i'm the first to comment.. hehe...

    This is so cute!!! definitely make one for myself! :D

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  2. SarahMay 31, 2010 at 10:27 PM

    This is lovely, your kids are SO lucky. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. AnonymousMay 31, 2010 at 10:29 PM

    Brilliant. My boys have been wanting an aquarium for so long and I just can't seem to cage any type of animal/fish so this is Perfect!
    Thank you!

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  4. CodrutaMay 31, 2010 at 10:29 PM

    So many ideas, I'm always impressed by your projects, they are very inspiring. Love this home made toy too :)

    hugs from Romania

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  5. PatyMay 31, 2010 at 11:39 PM

    I love your blog! full of creative ideas!

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  6. Skrekk o GruMay 31, 2010 at 11:41 PM

    As a marine biologist I really like this aquarium - it´s beautiful and fun to watch. And I like you blog too - so many interesting ideas you have!

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  7. EllemmeMay 31, 2010 at 11:48 PM

    Oh it's funny! I made something really similar, when I was young, but instead of pisces, there were elements of the picture of Juan Mirò, Harlequin's Carnival, and there weren't mobile. I'll make yours one day, it's so lovely!

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  8. JumieMay 31, 2010 at 11:52 PM

    Its wonderful!!!
    Thank you for this idea!
    Jumie from Germany

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  9. Oum_NawelJune 1, 2010 at 12:17 AM

    Hi,
    a new idea to explore with my son Malik !
    Thank you

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  10. Kickcan & ConkersJune 1, 2010 at 12:21 AM

    This is great - love the fish shadows it makes.

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  11. KerryJune 1, 2010 at 12:35 AM

    Oh, Joel... I think you might be the most creative man in the universe. I LOVE this beautiful aquarium - and everything else I've seen on your blog!

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  12. StephanieJune 1, 2010 at 12:46 AM

    That is so creative!!!

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  13. AnonymousJune 1, 2010 at 12:58 AM

    Just great!
    (like all your blog... thank you from Spain)

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  14. Catherine PeartJune 1, 2010 at 1:04 AM

    ok, I am getting tired of writing 'genius' here....lol.

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  15. MakeminemidcenturyJune 1, 2010 at 1:36 AM

    I don't know how you keep coming up with these gorgeous creations. They are all so neat and simple and full of love!

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  16. PabloJune 1, 2010 at 2:00 AM

    Excellent! I have a box here that I will be using to try that out today.

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  17. MutsukoJune 1, 2010 at 2:00 AM

    Excellent !

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  18. NinaJune 1, 2010 at 2:58 AM

    Fantastic!

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  19. GolubkaJune 1, 2010 at 6:06 AM

    What a lovely idea! It's wonderful that the fish move.

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  20. Lilou the FrogJune 1, 2010 at 6:18 AM

    Easy and brilliant as usual ! Tu es incroyablement créatif, c'est un vrai bonheur de découvrir tes nouvelles idées au jour le jour ! (I would have been able to do it in english but... well... just to test your french) :)

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  21. theveryflowersJune 1, 2010 at 7:13 AM

    Cute! Looks like it would have the potential for becoming a different sort of shadow-box puppet theatre, with a different theme, etc. I could see my older kids making backdrops and curtains...
    Jenny :)

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  22. Joel HenriquesJune 1, 2010 at 8:44 AM

    Thanks for all of the nice comments everybody! There are so many cool things to do with boxes!

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  23. ameshJune 1, 2010 at 9:40 AM

    you're inspirational!

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  24. MiriamJune 1, 2010 at 12:45 PM

    Love it! Great idea.

    Greetings,
    Miriam

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  25. Anitra CameronJune 1, 2010 at 6:28 PM

    What a great idea, and I can almost see the adaptations to "other things you want to move around"!

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  26. sunny's smileJune 1, 2010 at 10:08 PM

    Your blog is one of my favorites! Very inspiring creations! Thanks so much for sharing your talent.

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  27. ClaireJune 1, 2010 at 10:37 PM

    It's so clever! Thanks again for a great idea!

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  28. Lori HenriquesJune 2, 2010 at 12:37 AM

    incroyable! un autre projet si beau & magnifique!!! i have to come over tomorrow just to play with this! :) and your creatures have such personality...
    xoxo

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  29. AnonymousJune 2, 2010 at 5:06 AM

    Hi!! I know your site today and its lovely!!!
    You have a fan from today ;D ¡¡me!!
    I´ll follow your clue
    Kisses from Spain.
    ;D

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  30. AnonymousJune 2, 2010 at 6:47 AM

    Joel, this is super great! thanks again

    Karine

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  31. JulieJune 2, 2010 at 1:00 PM

    Perfect! My girls have been begging for a fish (Siamese fighter or fancy guppy) for a year now. I've said that once they demonstrate an ability to maintain a reasonably uncluttered dresser top for more than a week (a place to house the fish), I would be ready to oblige. Needless to say, it's not happened...yet. This, however, may be the perfect solution. No fish-sitters required during our summer travels!

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  32. JellybeanlupinJune 3, 2010 at 4:07 AM

    Wow yet another fantastic idea and so beautifully executed. Sooo inspiring. Thanks.
    Et je trouvais que le commentaire en français était inattendu et poétique, entouré d'anglais comme il l'était.

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  33. Amanda PedroJune 3, 2010 at 5:31 AM

    seriously, you should be a toy designer!
    Now to find a box!
    thanks

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  34. OhMyAmpersandJune 3, 2010 at 6:34 AM

    This is going to be the next crafty project with CBear! I LOVE it! :)

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  35. marie-louiseJune 3, 2010 at 8:40 AM

    simple and nice!

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  36. DillaJune 5, 2010 at 10:22 AM

    tx for sharing your great idea :)

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  37. medina familyJune 8, 2010 at 8:27 AM

    We made one! Although yours is much better and your pictures are too...but here it is if you want to take a look:

    http://medinasinbolivia.blogspot.com/2010/06/pets.html

    Thanks for the great ideas!
    Susan

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  38. Joel HenriquesJune 8, 2010 at 10:41 AM

    Thanks everybody!

    medina family - That's a really great one! I like the black box. And I see you used the fish from the coloring sheet. That's turned out really well! Thanks so much for showing me.

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  39. bezgeliJune 10, 2010 at 1:25 AM

    mükemmel bir şey bu elelrinize saglık paylaşım icin

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  40. AllanaJune 15, 2010 at 6:30 AM

    Great idea thanks! Will definately do this soon :)

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  41. tscdJune 16, 2010 at 6:07 PM

    Thank you for this brilliant idea!
    I love your blog so much that I linked it to mine and used one of your picture (credits to you, of course). I hope you don't mind.
    http://looktotherainbow.blogspot.com/2010/06/awesome-daddy.html

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  42. gwenstellaJune 18, 2010 at 2:10 AM

    WOW! cool! oh oh maybe u could add a silhouette of a cat peering into the tank, upside down from the front of the tank as well! :D

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  43. UnknownJune 18, 2010 at 3:23 AM

    Super COOL can't wait to make one Thanks!

    Pye

    Pyesquire@gmail.com

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  44. AndreaJune 20, 2010 at 12:26 PM

    I love this project and would love to use it at the summer camp I work at. Just one question: How is it attached to the wall?? I just can't seem to figure it out.

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  45. Joel HenriquesJune 20, 2010 at 4:00 PM

    Thanks everybody!

    Andrea - If you open the box flaps on the back of the box, you can turn them out and trim them and just tape it to the wall with masking tape, or you can use pins or tacks. If you want to keep the back of the box closed (so you can paint on it etc.) then you wouldn't have the flaps open to turn out and tape, so you'd have to just use thumb tacks to pin it to the wall, or just set it on a table and leave it "mobile" so you can play with it wherever. Hope that helps. It makes more sense if you just start making it - so just go for it and try it out yourself before the camp.

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  46. ScottJune 30, 2010 at 6:38 AM

    I love the "mobility" of the fish. Great idea!

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  47. BonnieJuly 5, 2010 at 10:11 AM

    I am so making one for my grandson with the addition of a yellow submarine (a current obsession).

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  48. KarenOctober 11, 2010 at 9:59 PM

    We made it, here, from Brazil. Me and my six years old daughter. We just add some colours.
    Thank you, for the great idea!!!!
    If you want to take a look:
    http://potpourridakaren.blogspot.com/2010/10/wall-hanging-box-aquarium.html

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  49. Joel HenriquesOctober 11, 2010 at 10:22 PM

    Thanks!

    Karen - That's a great one! I love the starfish on the bottom too. Coo!

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  50. AnonymousNovember 18, 2010 at 8:37 PM

    I love this. I am an art teacher...and this would be a perfect project for my students...so many possibiliites...zoo...space...on and on. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!

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  51. tifmarkirNovember 19, 2010 at 11:02 AM

    Joel,
    All is looking so great!
    Very proud. Very proud.
    Now, all I need is to get preggos, so I can use these awesome tools you've shared.
    Tiff

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  52. Sew Flippin CoolDecember 27, 2010 at 4:08 PM

    are your fish made from cardboard, too? I'm having some trouble cutting the little shapes out. Maybe my exacto needs a new razor. :)

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  53. Joel HenriquesDecember 29, 2010 at 8:17 PM

    Thanks!

    Sew Flippin Cool - I think my fish were made from a slightly thinner cardboard. You could also just use thick paper, which would work well.

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  54. Sew Flippin CoolDecember 29, 2010 at 10:14 PM

    Well, here's how it came out - http://wp.me/pkcUM-xg

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  55. Joel HenriquesDecember 30, 2010 at 9:54 PM

    Ooh, that turned out great. I love the turtle! The nesting doll puppets are awesome too!

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  56. UnknownJanuary 2, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    Hello and Happy New Year from Spain!! I really admire your creativity, and that's why I have introduced your blog in an entry on my tiny blog, showing some of your projects and liking to your page. I hope you don't mind. Here you can see the entry: http://gasanguesway.blogspot.com/2011/01/un-papa-con-mucho-talento.html

    Thank you

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  57. Nick, Molly, and Lil WillJanuary 14, 2011 at 6:38 AM

    Love this! I tried it with my toddler, but my slits weren't so clean and the thread kept getting snagged. What did you use to make your slits so clean and straight? Thank you!

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  58. Joel HenriquesJanuary 14, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    A tai-tai - Thanks for the kind post!

    Nick, Molly, and Lil Will - Yes, I used a craft knife and a straight edge. (a small metal ruler.) It made it very easy to get a nice cut.

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